Sunday, July 27, 2008

POTATOES BAKED WITH PARMIGIANO

A Tribute To Sherry "Sher" Cermak (1948-2008)"Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy."~ Eskimo Saying ~

From the very day I had discovered Sherry's wonderful blog "What Did You Eat?" (USA) back in 2006, I never stopped raving over her mouthwatering recipes and hilariously funny cat/squirrel posts. All of her dishes looked so appealing and her love for animals was undeniable...

Unfortunately, until now, I have not been able to test any of her scrumptious recipes, but her creations have nonetheless inspired me as a homecook and homebaker. As, this week, foodbloggers all over the world will be making one of the recipes from her blog, and then posting the recipe on their own blog (see infos here & here), I can finally remediate to that situation. So, in rememberance of the sweet and witty Sher, I have decided to blog about her "Potatoes Bakes With Parmiginano" recipe (see her post) which has caught my attention.

As there are so many other recipes that I'd love to test, I really hope that Sher's blog will stay open in order for us to remember her through the marvelous dishes that she shared with us and her awesome cat/squirrel posts. In that way, we'd still be able to feel the positive vibrations which she communicated to us via this much loved blog.

I am already missing Sher's warm and friendly presence within the food and cat blogospheres as I cherished each of her posts and always waited for them with much excitement! Her sudden as well as tragic disappearance has shocked and saddened me deeply. It is clearly a loss that affects me as an individual, animal/cat lover, blogger buddy and member of The Daring Bakers...

Needless to say that this recipe was an absolute hit as this speciality's yum factor is high! Even my boyfriend who isn't very fond of potatoes ate this dish with much appetite and had a second serving!

This Italian version/cousin of the French "Gratin Dauphinois" is incredibly scrumptious and flavorful. The potatoes melt in the mouth and pair fantastically with the cream, nutmeg and Parmesan in order to create one the most luscious gratins I have ever eaten. Highly satisfying. Comfort food at it's best!

Method:1. Put the potatoes in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they are tender, but still show resistance.2. Cool and peel, then slice into 6mm (1/4 inch) rounds.3. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400° F).4. Butter a dish and layer the potatoes into it, overlapping them.5. Mix the nutmeg in the milk/cream and pour pour over the potatoes.6. Season with salt and sprinkle the cheese on top.7. Dot with the butter.8. Cook in the oven in the middle rack, for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dish has browned to your satisfaction.9. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Remarks:I used 1kg (2 pounds) potatoes instead of the quantity requested and kept the same quantity cream/milk/seasoning.Once you've placed the potatoes in the dish and covered them with the liquid (point 5), you can refrigerate the dish overnight and cook it the next day. You can even cook it and then reheat it the next day (it tastes even better that way!).

Serving suggestions:Use as accompaniment to meat or sausages and serve with a seasonal salad.

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~ Gratin De Pommes De Terre Au Parmesan ~Recette de Biba Caggiano, tirée de son livre "A Taste Of Italy".

Dear Rosa, what a lovely recipe to remember Sher by. Your dish looks wonderful. I have some beautiful potatoes I got from a local farmer, so I might have to make this dish and think of Sher while I cook and eat. Thanks for this post.